No H8

HOMOSEXUALITY: a one word controversy that continues to spark heated debates from classrooms to living rooms. Miss Beverly Hills, Lauren Ashley has taken the debate a step further and brought it onto the beauty pageant stage. As I watched her interview, it took all the will power I had to not throw the living room table at the T.V. Thie beauty queen went beyond the dumb blonde stereotype and is just plain ignorant. Not only does Miss Beverly Hills oppose same-sex marriage, but she promotes the abomination and death of gay people.

"The Bible says that marriage is between a man and a woman," Ashley tells FOX News, "In Leviticus it says, 'If man lies with mankind as he would lie with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death and their blood shall be upon them' The bible is pretty black and white."

But she doesn't stp there. " I feel like God himself created mankind and loves everyone, and he has the best for everyone. But, if He says having sex with someone your same gender is going to bring death upon you, that's a pretty stern warning, and he knows more about life than we do."

In my eyes this beauty queen is the epitome of ignorance. Even sadder is the fact that her views, although extreme, represent the views of a majority of Americans. When California's Prop 8 passed I was shocked that a state that considers itself liberal would take aways such a significant step towards giving all people rights. Throughout generations different minorities have been persecuted for being different. Homosexuality is no different: it's a modern day persecution and our modern day Civil Rights Movement. The close-mindedness of Miss Beverly Hills and our society continues to surprise me.

Those who cannot be open-minded enough to accept the differences in people are doomed to repeat the atrocious mistakes of our past. By discriminating against homosexuals, people like Lauren Ashley are condemning themselves to a pitiful half existence, and missing out on the opportunity to build great relationships with great people. This hatred, phobia and discrimination of homosexuals is simply based on irrationality. As the generation gap continues to broaden, I am glad to see younger generations are becoming increasingly considerate of what is considered different. Instead of shying away from tolerance, my generation is slowly but surely becoming more accepting of individuality.

-Alex Mead